La Vie Des Fleurs
by kiyoshi rin
Summary: A collection of one shots dedicated to our lovely soeulmate couple! Different stories, different places, different universes, but always the same couple. Disclaimer: I don't know Boys Over Flowers because if I did, Yi Jung and Ga Eul would have a bigger story line. Rated M for sensitive topics.
1. Azaleas

Azaleas

Azalea - fragility

The smell of steaming just-made coffee floated in the air, the toast has just been made into a perfectly crispy texture, and the sound of orange juice being poured into a crystal glass created a soothing, comfortable sound.  
"Good morning, yunbo!" A woman said cheerfully as she took off the pink rabbit apron that she had on. The woman wore a simple dress with her raven hair in a bun. She quickly placed some toast on a white ceramic plate in front of her husband who was busy fixing his red tie.  
"This is good." He complimented and smiled at her. She beamed proudly and sat down across the table from him. She ate with him and smiled. These were the moments she married for: enjoying breakfast together and being in each other's company.  
"Yunbo, what do you want to do this saturday?" The woman asked.  
"I have a party to go to, would you like to attend it with me?" The man asked.  
"Yes!" Ga Eul said happily and kissed her husband on the cheek good bye as he grabbed his suitcase and walked out the door.  
Ga Eul washed the dishes and cleaned the house happily.

The party was at a fancy hotel decorated with beautiful vases of flowers. She looked around and saw everyone dressed in a fancy dress, she sighed in relief, she didn't overdress. She wore a dark blue full length dress with an off the shoulder design. It had a princess cut and she had an up-do to go along with the fancy outfit. She also wore her best pearls and put on a red lipstick with light blush. She carried with her a small black hand-held purse. She looked at all the other women's husbands and saw that her husband was the most handsome. Her husband was young and his hairline was not receding like many of the others. His physique was perfect and his height was tall. She was the envy of most women there. She laughed and chatted with her husband's coworkers' wives and sipped some champagne.  
"Excuse me, I need to go freshen up." Ga Eul said politely and left the women to head to the bathroom. She awed at how amazing this restroom was, but then again, the person who owned this hotel was rich. The marble countertops, the white pillars and the clean mirrors. Was it odd of her to be jealous of how clean this bathroom was? She wished she had marble coutnertops. The scent of poppuri even made this room look less like a bathroom and more like a hotel room. She placed her black purse on the counter and was about to fix her hair when she heard some woman moaning and a few thumps against the bathroom door. She eyed the bathroom stall through the mirror with a confused expression. Finally after a few minutes, a woman stepped out, with her hair disheveled and she fixed her dress. She walked away without making eye contact with Ga Eul. What suprised her even more was the man who had exited the stall. He zipped up his pants and washed his hands at the sink.  
"What are you doing in here? Sir, this is the woman's restroom!" Ga Eul said with a fluster. He leaned close to her face and she backed up until she hit a white tiled wall.  
He smiled. "It will be our little secret." He pressed his fingers to his lips and walked away.  
Ga Eul felt her heart pounding and she sighed in relief when he was gone. She glared at the entrance where he exited from, what kind of jerk would have sex in the bathroom.  
She quickly left the restroom and rejoined her husband.  
"There you are dear, I wanted you to meet the person who owns this hotel and who I will be doing business with." The man said. "Yi Jung-ssi, this is my wife, Chu Ga Eul."  
"Nice to meet you." Chu Ga Eul looked up and said cheerfully. Her smile turned into a frown when she realized who the hotel owner was. It was the person that she met in the bathroom.  
"Nice to meet you too, Ga Eul-ssi." Yi Jung kissed her hand and Ga Eul felt a twinge of disgust. "Soo Pyo-ssi, you never told me how beautiful your wife was." Ga Eul could feel eyes staring at her and she started to feel self-concious.  
"Excuse me, I think I see Mrs. Lee, who I have wanted to talk to since the last party." Ga Eul walked off and bumped into a woman. She looked at the woman and found herself linking arms with her husband. Ga Eul looked away as to not shame the woman. She wondered if her husband knew what she was doing behind his back.

"What do you think of So Yi Jung?" Soo Pyo asked his wife when the party was over and they were in their black Mercedes.  
"He's a...giving person." Ga Eul said after much effort.  
"That's good, he says he wants to have dinner at our house tomorrow."  
"What?!" Ga Eul shouted ad closed her mouth.  
"You seem surprised." Soo Pyo commented.  
"It's just so sudden." Ga Eul said to hide her surprise.

The doorbell rang and Ga Eul opened it to find a huge bouquet of flowers. "Thank you, yu-" She was about to say until she saw the face of the person holding the flowers was none other than the playboy. "Thank you, Yi Jung-ssi." She said in a less excited tone.  
"I loved your cheery voice more." He whispered in her ear. She ignored him and welcomed him in.  
"Please have a seat, dinner will be served soon." Ga Eul said and gestured to the white couches which were in her living room. She suddenly heard the phone ring and she went to answer it.  
"Hello?"  
"Ga Eul, it's Soo Pyo."  
"Oh, yunbo, when will you be home?"  
"I can't make it home today."  
"Oh, I see." Ga Eul said. "Then what about our guest?"  
"Just serve him dinner and talk to him. I'm sorry I couldn't be home."  
"It's okay, you're working so hard." Ga Eul said. "Bye, I love you." She hung up and turned to her guest who was busy looking at the living room.  
"Was that Soo Pyo?"  
"Yes, he said he will not be home in time. Please come in to the dining room, food will be served soon." She said.  
The woman set up a table and it was filled with many Korean dishes. Yi Jung sampled a few and smiled. It tasted like his mother's cooking. It had the perfect blend of sweet, spicy and salty.  
"Do you like it?"  
"It's delicious." Yi Jung replied with a smile and the woman was slightly flustered. It was the first time he had said something so genuine.  
"Thank you." Ga Eul blushed.

"Is there something wrong today, Ga Eul-ssi?" Yi Jung asked.  
"Huh?"  
"Based on my first impression of you, I thought you would be telling me to leave by now." He sipped his coffee which she had poured for him after the dinner was over.  
"Was I really that mean?" Ga Eul said quietly.  
"Tell me, what's wrong?"  
She sat down and drank some of her coffee. "Actually, today is our anniversary."  
"Really? Happy anniversary." He said.  
"You're not who I really want to hear it from, but thank you." Ga Eul said quietly.  
"If you ever need someone to talk to, just let me know." Yi Jung handed her a business card. "Then I will take my leave before Soo Pyo comes back."  
Ga Eul looked at the business card and tossed it in a kitchen drawer. She waited up for a long time until it was passed midnight and she blew out the cake she had secretly bought herself. She ate a few slices and it wasn't until two in the morning when her husband came back home.

"Oh Ga Eul!" The man stumbled in drunk and he reeked of alcohol.

"I thought you had to work late. Why do you smell like liquor?" Ga Eul asked as she helped him into their bedroom. He groaned and soon fell asleep as Ga Eul took off his shoes and socks. She helped him change into his pajamas and tucked him in.

"I can't believe he came home drunk." Ga Eul said to no one in particular and she checked his pockets for any valuables so she wouldn't place them in the washing machine. She felt some cloth and she pulled it out. "What's this?"

She un-crumpled it and looked at it. She didn't know how to react to the silky thong that had just been pulled out. She stared at it and sighed. She felt her heart throb and she threw it in the washing machine with the rest of the clothes. She didn't care if it got ruined, it wasn't hers. Ga Eul sat there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She checked her cell and looked for anybody that she could confide in, she really needed someone to talk to. She checked her contact list and realized that ever since she got married to Soo Pyo, she had lost contact with her best friends.

She was alone. She had no one.

Ga Eul shed tears and decided what she should do. She scrambled into the kitchen and opened the drawer for a knife and that was when she saw that white business card. She took it out and looked at the address. He had even put his home address on there...it must have been a special business card.

Yi Jung walked out of the shower with only a towel on when his doorbell rang. He opened the door to find a girl there wearing only a t-shirt and sweats. She looked like a mess and he didn't say a word, just let her in.

"Thank you."

"What's wrong?" He asked after he had changed into a t-shirt and jeans.

"He...cheated on me." Ga Eul said after a long pause.

He went into the kitchen and brought out two wine glasses and filled each one with aged red wine. He handed it to her and she sipped it, it felt warm and she enjoyed how it tasted.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I didn't have anyone else to go to. Isn't that funny? A grown woman having no friends – well I did have friends, I just lost them when I got married." Ga Eul continued to ramble.

"It's fine." Yi Jung said. "What I'm more shocked by is your reaction to him cheating on you."

Ga Eul set down her wine glass. "I don't know...I guess I expected it would happen sooner or later."

"You're a very interesting woman." Yi Jung said.

Ga Eul's eyes flickered to the man who seemed to have taken an interest in her. "Kiss me." She had said without even noticing what she had just uttered.

Without a word, he walked over and kissed her. It was a soft kiss at first but the spark that started ignited into flames. Their tongues did their own dance and Yi Jung began to slowly move his hand up her stomach. She felt the heat of his hands and she wrapped her arms around him tighter. They moved their way to his room where she took off her shirt as did he. She traced his abs with her hand and her soft touch aroused Yi Jung to the point where he began to ravish her with many kisses. She was unlike anyone he had ever kissed before. There was this unspoken physical chemistry that drew him to her so much that he never had the urge to be with a woman before. The taste of her lips made him beg for more and more.

Ga Eul felt something that she never had in a long time, that feeling of lust which evaded her when she was with her husband. Sure she was a great wife but she never knew if she was a great lover that is until now. She then thought back to the woman who had sex with Yi Jung in the restroom, she now understood why that woman would do such a degrading thing, he was amazing. The kissed on her neck and body still burned; the trace he had left clung on and it made her desperate for him to just do it already. It was this surreal feeling – this sense of euphoria – this exhilarating ordeal.

He rolled over onto his back and panted. Ga Eul rolled on top of him and gave him a few kisses before getting up.

"You should take a shower before you leave." Yi Jung said as he laid in bed. She started to gather up her clothes which were scattered all over the bedroom floor and got dressed.

"My husband will wake up any minute."

"You wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Ga Eul gave him a deeper kiss this time. "I'll call you."

"Wait." Yi Jung got up and opened a drawer where he pulled out a necklace the color of Azaleas. It was a beautiful pink diamond strung on a silver necklace. He placed it on her and kissed her neck in the process.

"Stop I have to leave." Ga Eul said breathlessly and pulled away from his grasp.

Soo Pyo woke up with a groan. He opened his eyes to find his head pounding hard.

"Good morning, yunbo." Ga Eul smiled and held a tray full of hangover soup.

"Morning, was I really drunk last night."

"No, you weren't really drunk." Ga Eul leaned down to place the small table on the bed. The necklace dangled in front of his eyes and he noticed that it was new.

"Where did you get that necklace?"

"Don't you remember? You got this for me for our anniversary."

"Oh right, happy anniversary dear." Soo Pyo said and gave his wife a small kiss on the cheek. Ga Eul was about to leave the bedroom when Soo Pyo called out to her. "Dear, how did the dinner with Yi Jung go?"

Ga Eul stopped at the doorway and turned around with a small smile on her face. "It went well, I look forward to having him over for dinner again."

"I guess you two are comfortable with each other now." Soo Pyo smiled.

Ga Eul smiled back and walked out of the bedroom door, her hand touched the sparkling Azalea colored necklace.

**Chapter Two**

"Stay." Yi Jung wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as she struggled to slip into the black Vera Wang dress she had worn before she came over.

"I have to go, my club meeting would have ended by now." She gently released herself from his arms.

"Stay here forever." He got up and wrapped his arms around her firmly. He kissed her neck and ravished her with more kisses as Ga Eul closed her eyes. She watched her dress slowly slide back down to the floor.

"How was your book club meeting?" Her husband barely glanced up at her. He was in his office with the laptop open and furiously typing into it.

"It was wonderful, we discussed a romance book where the woman has an affair." She said as she walked into the restroom.

"Sounds great." He replied back half-heartedly. He was busy working on the project that had been started a month ago with the president of the hotel also known as the man who Ga Eul was having an affair with.

Ga Eul took a shower and closed her eyes as the conversation she had with Yi Jung overtook her mind.

"You should get a divorce." Yi Jung had said when she was lying next to him.

"Mmm." She just closed her eyes and heard the pounding of his heart. It was so surreal that she would ever be in bed with another man that wasn't Soo Pyo. She had never thought of herself as an adulterer but a perfect housewife and trophy wife. All she was missing were the children but that could have came later if only Soo Pyo was willing to have kids. However, their marriage wasn't exactly a happy thing, it wasn't sad either, it was just there. With Yi Jung, there was passion, something that she had with Soo Pyo before they got married. If she was divorced from him and strictly Yi Jung's girlfriend or whatever they had going on, that passion might disappear. As selfish as it sounds, she didn't want that to happen to her again.

She didn't bother answering Yi Jung, she made an excuse of having to go home or Soo Pyo would find out something was up. He had no other choice but to let her go.

"Ga Eul." She heard a knock on the wooden door.

"Yeah?" She turned off the water so she could hear him clearly.

"I have to go meet up with the board of directors."

"Alright." Ga Eul was slightly disappointed, but what else did she expect. They mostly made small talk nowadays or just talk about the company.

She stepped out of the shower and put on her robe where she went to her vanity set to put on a face mask. In front of her vanity, hanging from the small miniature Eiffel Tower was the Azalea colored necklace. She held it in her hands and gingerly touched the gem that seemed to sparkle when she laid a finger on it.

She went under the covers where she laid down peacefully. She slept for a long time before she heard someone slip under the covers as well.

As usual, she made breakfast, but her husband didn't eat it. Instead, he just rushed out of the house in a busy flurry. But the doorbell rang and there was someone there to eat her food.

"Hey babe." Yi Jung kissed her on the cheek. "He's not here?"

"He left a while ago. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah." He sat down and watched her cook. He was always mesmerized whenever she cooked


	2. Baby's Breath

Baby's Breath

Baby's Breath – innocence and purity of the heart

She was always so innocent and pure like a baby. Her big round eyes which had yet to see the darkness in the world, those cherry red lips which had yet to comment on the dirtiness of the world, those dark smooth ebony hair which had yet to be tangled with the complexity of the world, that beautiful body which had yet to be tainted by the viciousness of the world – that is until she met him.

He was always aware of the world and knew the backdrop of it, the darkness that no one wanted to deal with was where he usually felt the most comfortable. He understood how the world works and how one should act in order to survive in its harsh and brutal climate, however he met one person who had no idea what reality was like.

"Yi Jung-ssi." Ga Eul had spoken his name and he looked up from the menu of a restaurant they were about to dine at. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and the people were feeling the heat of summer. It felt like the day was going to be long and morbid as people trudged from here to there with the heat causing widespread lethargy. Cheery pop music played loudly in the crowded popular restaurant that had just opened up. Ga Eul had wanted to come here for a while and she loved how bright and bubbly the place was. She knew Yi Jung couldn't stand the noisy atmosphere and would prefer a quieter one but this seemed to reflect her mood for the moment. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" He asked lazily as he looked back at his menu. He was considering getting a hamburger or a hotdog.

"I'm pregnant." He looked up from his menu with a confused and blank look on his face.

"Abort it."

"What?" Ga Eul said in shock and looked at him to see if he actually knew what he was saying but his serious face told her that he knew the weight of the words he had just said. "You bastard." She got up and threw water in his face before running away in tears.

Yi Jung sat there with his hair, face and part of his body wet. No one seemed to notice since the place was loud and everyone had their own thing going on. He got up and left the restaurant, he had done it now. He had caused her lips to be tainted with such vile words. He walked by a couple that was pushing a stroller, their radiant faces and their glowing presence seemed to have blinded him for a while. He had to turn away from their happiness and walked quickly. That Kodak picture of a family was something he had never thought about having.

What was it like to be in a warm and loving family? He couldn't recall any memories of his parents kissing him, hugging him, or ruffling his hair. Was it terrible of him to not have such memories?

It's not like he didn't want any but he just never got any.

He didn't know where he was walking to but he saw a couple sitting on the park bench shyly holding hands – their first time doing such public display of affection. He thought back to how he had met Ga Eul...she was so innocent back then...

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask if you knew where childcare and development building was at?" Ga Eul had walked up to him that day when he was lazing around under a tree to escape from the heat. She was wearing a summer dress with her hair up in a bun which kept her neck exposed to the sun. Her lips had a shimmer to it and she smelled like some kind of flower that he did not know the name of. Her eager smile was awaiting a response and she never stopped eye contact. Maybe that was what drew her to him...her loving eyes.

"I'm not sure but I can help you look for it anyways."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"It's alright, I had nothing to do anyways." He got up and together they walked around campus. It was a quiet walk but he didn't mind it so much, he liked the quietness and just feeling the wind blow through his hair.

"Oh, there it is!" She pointed to a tan colored building. "Thank you for helping me." Ga Eul bowed.

"You're welcome." He was about to leave when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Ah, sorry I wanted to treat you out to some food since you helped me look for the building."

"It's fine." Yi Jung said and was about to walk away but he finally conceded after she kept pestering him.

That was how they had first met. He wondered that perhaps there was a reason he met that girl. Was it her innocence that attracted him to her? Maybe that was it; he was a cruel person to snatch an angel all for himself.

He didn't deserve a girl like her, someone who could warm up a cold person just with one smile, that irrevocable good nature that seemed to follow her even during the gloomiest and scariest days. There were times when even he had surrendered to pleas and ended up attending a noisy birthday party her friends were throwing.

But this time, he wasn't sure if he could concede and have the baby.

Was he ready to be a dad? How could he be one when he never had one himself? It wasn't exactly like he grew up in a loving home. He had a drug addicted mom and a dad that had abandoned them.

"Yi Jung?" He heard a man say.

"Speak of the devil." Yi Jung muttered under his breath.

"How have you been?"

Somehow unbeknownst to him, he was sitting across from his father on a park bench. Children were playing happily with their parents and Yi Jung snickered at the irony.

"Why do you care anyways?" Yi Jung asked. "I thought you would be happy not knowing I existed."

His father was a bit taken back by what he had said but understood why his son would react in that way. "I'm sorry; I should have taken you out of that house."

"No point in saying sorry now." He got up to leave.

"I really did want you to be with me though."

Yi Jung froze and turned around, anger had risen from his voice. "Then why? Why didn't you take me away? Why leave me there to rot?!"

"I wanted to Yi Jung, but I was scared for your life. Your mother had threatened to kill you if I did not leave by myself...I know, it was cowardly of me. I'm sorry. I should never have such a happy life when you had such a terrible one." His father looked genuinely sorry and it made Yi Jung angry.

"Stop." Yi Jung felt tears in his eyes. So he was loved...after all.

"If there is any way I can make it up to you, just let me know."

"Just stop feeling guilty all the time, fuck." Yi Jung said with a scowl. "Maybe...we could have coffee next time."

Yi Jung's father smiled. "I'd like that." Yi Jung had never seen his father so feeble than now. He had grown old with age and seemed frailer and meeker than he was when Yi Jung was a little boy.

"I think, I may have unintentionally hurt someone." Yi Jung said with a sigh.

"Then you should go and make up with her. Don't be an idiot like me and abandon her."

"Thank you." Yi Jung walked away and started sprinting towards the restaurant to see if she was there but the table they sat at was empty. He wondered where she could be, he checked their apartment to find it empty and he ran to the university.

"Excuse, has Chu Ga Eul come here today?" Yi Jung asked the receptionist of the Childcare and Development building.

"She was just here but she left a while ago."

"Thank you." Yi Jung ran off. He hoped she wasn't listening to his stupid comment earlier and do something stupid. He took a breather and looked up, there she was. Sitting under the tree where she had first met him, the girl who was naïve and innocent was reading a book about being a single mother.

"Stupid, why are you reading such a book?"

"I thought you had broken up with me." Ga Eul looked away in anger. He took a seat next to her and took a deep breath.

"I'm a damaged and broken person whose ability to love is limited, do you think I'll be a good father?"

She set her book down and gave him that beautiful smile she had given him the first day they had met. "Babo, you would make a wonderful father."

She kissed his head and he leaned against her in relief. Her warmth was enough to calm the anxiety in his heart.

-One year later-

"Say grandpa." An old man had cooed to a little baby who was having giggling fits.

"Dad, when is stepmom and my siblings coming over?" Yi Jung asked when he had set the table with seven settings.

"They must be buying stuff for the cutest baby in the world." Yi Jung's father kissed the baby on the cheek who was happily grabbing at his jacket.

"I told them they didn't have to buy anything." Ga Eul said from the kitchen. Yi Jung entered it and hugged her from behind.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Ga Eul was a bit embarrassed at the affection he was giving her especially since her father in law was in the next room.

"For making me human and bringing our lovely child into this world."

"Babo, you don't need to thank me for that."

But he did. It was because of her innocence and love that he was able to leave the cruel outside world, even if it was just for a few hours each day.


	3. Camellia

Camellia

Camellia - perfection

"Are you nervous?" A man in a suit with a name tag asked another man as he took gulps of his bottle of water.

"No, I'll be okay." He read his flashcards which were shoved into his pocket.

"Okay, , you're up."

He looked at the crowd which was around 200 people; he took a sip of his water and cleared his throat before turning on the microphone. He hadn't been used to the topic he was speaking about yet even though he had talked at other conventions before.

"Hello my name is So Yi Jung." The man clicked a remote and it showed a picture of this woman with long black hair who had a glowing smile on her face. "Isn't she beautiful? She was my fiancée, we were going to marry this fall, but now we can't because she passed away from a deadly disease."

I never thought of myself as perfect, since elementary school, I always knew I was never the prettiest girl out there because there was always that one perfect girl. The girl who every girl and guy liked and was loved by everyone, I was envious of her. I wanted to be her. I wanted to be perfect.

People always said perfection could never be achieved but that's only because no one had done it yet, but I will. I will achieve perfection.

"Ga Eul, are you done in there?" My fiancée was rapping against the bathroom door.

"Almost." I weighed myself. 110. I sighed. I hadn't even lost a single pound. I groaned, what was I doing wrong? I had not eaten past eight and I even stopped eating sweets.

"What's wrong?" Yi Jung had asked me but I didn't know how to tell him. I didn't want him to call me a freak, he wouldn't understand!

"I should have asked her more instead of brushing it off as nothing."

"Ga Eul, what do you want to eat for breakfast?" Yi Jung had asked. I didn't respond to him, I was still moody over the fact that I hadn't even lost a pound.

"I'm not hungry." I said.

"But you should eat something."

"Fine." I checked my watch. I had to go to work soon. I flipped the pages of a fashion magazine and stared at how beautiful those girls were, jealousy arose in my veins, this one model reminded me of that girl in high school I always wanted to be. She looked like her too, tall, skinny with big eyes. I felt my heartache; I want to be that pretty. I would do anything to be that pretty. I smelled the wafting smell of blueberry pancakes floating in the air. My mouth started watering.

"Come and eat some." He placed it down in front of me and I stared at the plate. I was mentally calculating all the calories I would be consuming but he had interrupted my thoughts. With that eager shy anticipating look on his face, how could I shove that plate away? I took a bite, swallowing it seemed painful.

"How is it?" He asked me with a happy smile on his face.

"It's really good." I said enthusiastically and shoved more into my mouth. Each morsel made me want to cry. I didn't want to eat those pancakes; I could already feel the fat forming around my thighs, stomach and arms.

"Ga Eul, why are you so sweaty?" A coworker of mine asked me. I was busying typing up an article for the fashion magazine that I worked at called Couture Seoul.

"I ate some blueberry pancakes so I'm working on burning it off."

"Oh honey, that would take forever." She used that tone that parents used on naïve children. "It would be better to just go to the restroom."

"I can't go to the restroom here." I blushed feverishly.

"You do know what I'm talking about, right honey?"

"Of course." I didn't want to look stupid.

"Then go and do it."

I got up and headed to the restroom where I heard some grotesque gagging noises. I looked wide eyed when I saw the model get out of the stall. It was the same model which I had saw in the magazine.

"What are you looking at?" She demanded and washed her hands before she left. I had envied her body and was dying to know her secret but now I knew it. I clutched my fists, I was going to do it.

I flushed the toilet and wiped my mouth. It still tasted like bile so I went and washed my mouth. My throat still burned from the vomit and I cried. I know what I was doing but I couldn't stop now. I wanted to be perfect.

"I never knew her perfection would eat her up alive."

"My, I think we will need to re-alter your wedding dress, you lost so much weight." The woman had noted when I tried on the perfect wedding dress that I had picked out a month ago. I couldn't believe the words she had just said. I had lost weight. Finally there was something effective. I smiled, I will soon be married to the most perfect man. I would obtain what I wanted most in this world.

"You look beautiful." My future husband- to- be whispered in my ear as he hugged me tightly and kissed me on the cheek.

"You look handsome yourself." He was wearing a white tuxedo that we had picked out together.

"You shouldn't lose too much weight though, you look beautiful the way you are."

"Thanks." I gave a half-hearted smile. I never like those words when I was in high school and I still don't like it now. It means I have to settle for what I am now when I could go higher. It was fake comfort words a parent used when they realize that their own child would stay fat forever. My parents always told me that but did they know that I felt ugly on the outside? I was fat. I weighed so much that boys didn't even look at me. I wanted to cry, I wanted to shout, I wanted to make all those disapproving eyes disappear!

"But to me, she really was beautiful the way she was, I wasn't lying when I said it."

I had learned online that a person could hide their anorexia so I started doing it, I used a toothbrush instead of my fingers, but soon I was able to just do it without any stimulators at all. I know Yi Jung was looking at me with suspicion but how could he find any evidence when I was eating in front of his face all the time.

"I should have caught on sooner."

I heard the door open and I looked up to see him and his horrified look. I didn't know what to say, I just stayed frozen, with one hand holding my hair back and one hand around the bowl.

"Ga Eul, why?" He looked at me with those pitiful eyes.

"Stop it." I shouted at him. "Don't look this way! You weren't supposed to find out!"

He didn't say anything but the tears in his eyes said it all. He was disappointed in me. I could do nothing but stare at the evidence of my demise.

Then he said those hateful words to me. "You need help."

"I don't need help." I told him. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Ga Eul." He said. "Seeing you hunched over the toilet is not what I want to come home to! I don't want to see you harm yourself."

"I'm not harming myself! Besides, I only did this once!" I shouted in retaliation but of course, he knew I was lying.

I was a small thin liar.

"You need counseling."

"Why do I need counseling when I don't have an issue?" I grabbed an apple and ate it. "See, I'm eating, there's nothing wrong with me."

"Ga Eul, please do this for me?"

"Yi Jung, if you love me you won't do this to me." I looked him seriously in the eye. "If you put me through counseling, this engagement is over."

"I should have thrown away the engagement...why didn't I?"

"Fine, but if I see you throw up again, I am putting you through counseling."

"Fine."

I was able to stop. At least at home when he was around. I still did it though at work and times when he wasn't at home, I was always able to cover my tracks. I became a master at it. I would smile and wear clothes like I normally did and when he saw me naked. I just said it takes a while for me to gain weight because my body had always had a hard time gaining weight. I think he trusted me a bit too much.

My cover would have been perfect had it not been for the that one time he saw me on the floor of our living room unconscious. Everything became dark.

"See the doctor said it was from exhaustion." I had quoted what the doctor in front of me had told Yi Jung and I.

"Ms. Chu, your exhaustion stems from not eating enough. Right now you weigh 70 pounds when you should be heavier."

"But I look normal, there aren't any bones protruding out or anything, so I'm still average!" Average, that disgusting word came out of my mouth. Average. It's an average word, not special, not like PERFECT.

"She didn't realize that she had only become skin and bones...her disease was giving her delusions..."

The doctor was talking to Yi Jung and they wouldn't let me in on what they were saying but I already know what they were talking about. They were calling me crazy and most likely laughing at how I haven't even lost that much weight even though I was throwing up almost every night. I'll show them. I'll show them that I can achieve the body I always dreamt of!

They came back in and told me I had to stay in the hospital where they will monitor me. I am mad, why would they tell me that?

"I hate you." I shouted at Yi Jung. "Why didn't you defend me? I thought I was beautiful to you, but I'm hideous aren't I?!"

He only shed tears and told me to get some sleep. "Ga Eul, you're still beautiful to me but you would be if you were back to the way you were before."

"No, I will never be that fat girl anymore!"

"Ga Eul, you were never fat!"

"Stop, you're only saying that because you're supposed to! You're my fiancée! Now get out!" I started throwing my pillow at him and screaming at him.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I felt like I've gotten fatter...it must be the IV drip that they placed on me. I ripped it off and ran to the bathroom. I only threw up so much since the nurses dragged me back in. They strapped me to my bed while I screamed and kicked at them. They stuck the IV in my again and fed me through my veins. I hate this. I hate them. I hate everything!

"It was so painful to see her like this. It broke my heart, but I had to save her."

I've been here for such a long time, the only thing I can do here is lay down and just play with the measuring tape I have. I hadn't measured myself in such a long time. I'm scared to.

"She was slowly reverting back to her old self."

"Yi Jung, can you let me eat some real food, I don't want those drips in my arms anymore." I said to him. He was surprised by my earnesty.

"Okay. I'll go get some food from the cafeteria."

"Nurse!" I shouted. A woman can in.

"I need to use the restroom, it's urgent."

"Okay." The nurse untied me and I hit her with the vase on the table. She was knocked unconscious though I'm sure she was still alive.

"I should have went back to her room sooner. I loved her the way she was."

Yi Jung, I love you, but I cannot let you love me until I'm perfect.

"Perfection...that's what she was seeking."

I wanted perfection and happiness.

"By the time I reached her room, it was too late...she had hung herself with the measuring tape in the shower stall. The only thing I have left of her is the note she left behind. If you have loved ones who are suffering from anorexia nervosa, get them help; they need support and love to get through this. The cost of perfection and happiness shouldn't be death. Thank you." Yi Jung walked off the podium and slumped down on a chair as tears began to form in his eyes.

Yi Jung,

I can't be perfect here...this world limits me, I'm going to go to heaven first...that's where we'll have our perfect wedding when you meet me there. I'll wait for you forever, don't come here too soon. When you see me, I'll be perfect.

Love,

Ga Eul


	4. Dahlia

Dahlia

Dahlia – Elegance

She was always so beautiful. The way her eyes seemed to penetrate through my soul whenever she looked at me sent shivers down my spine. I wanted more than anything for her to be in my bed with me. But sadly, she doesn't belong to me. She doesn't belong to anyone.

"What's my schedule for today?" A slim and slender woman walked into my office with attire full of brand names.

"Today you have a photo shoot for Calvin Klein jeans, then you have another shoot for Elle magazine, then another one for Chanel perfume, and then one more for Dior." I said and tried to not inhale the wondrous scent she had on. I always had to restrain myself around her.

"Thank you, oppa." Her rouge lips curved into a smile. "You're the best."

And like that, she left my office; the only evidence left of her being here was that lingering traces of perfume. I was left to stare at all those pictures of her that were tacked onto my wall. Not stalker photos, I'm not that creepy, but photos from covers of magazines and advertisements she had done, they were beautiful. What else would you expect from a rising star in my company? The only thing I didn't expect was me falling for her outside of the office. The more photos she took, the more I became entranced by her.

"She's a slut, she's just conceited." Everyone had told me that but I didn't believe them. To me, she was like Princess Diana, a woman with airs of nobility and elegance. She was graceful like a swan yet swift like a gazelle. There was something about her that caught everyone's attention and not just mine.

I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit there were times when I wished she wasn't famous and all mine.

These thoughts of mine should vanish quickly though because I have to stay professional – no – I need to be. My line of work needs me to be impartial to people and to judge them based on their performance and abilities. I can't be biased and pick her all the time though God knows I would.

"Oppa, how did I do?" She had asked me each time she finished a photo shoot and would take a break. She was magnificent and gorgeous, I wanted to worship the ground she walked on – at least that's what I wanted to say.

"Good, but next time you shouldn't stick out your neck too much, you're not a giraffe." I commented coolly. She nodded and joined the other models that were drinking carbonated water. I sighed and continued to talk to the directors about how we can draw Ga Eul out more of her comfort zone.

"Break's over." The director told his assistant to shout and everyone got back to work. They told Ga Eul to be in the center and to strike a beautiful pose with two other ladies. I knew that although she was pretended to be meek and shy, she really did enjoy being in the spotlight. It was as important to her as water was for flowers. She adored the camera and the stares she got when she walked down apujeong-dong by herself to go shopping. I didn't mind her craving for the spotlight though because to me, she deserved to be in the spotlight, she shone brightly and sometimes it hurt my heart but in the end, I loved it.

My cell phone rang and I left the studio for a moment to answer the call. I didn't want to be rude and pick up the phone there since it might kill the vibe of the studio and the photographer was all about the zen and the vibe and whatnot.

"Hello?" I answered as I leaned on the stair railing.

"Hi, is this So Yi Jung?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"My name is Amy and I am from Next."

"Oh, what is it?" I knew what was coming up when an international modeling agency called me.

"We have taken an interest in Chu Ga Eul and would like it if she was to work with us in New York."

"Sure, I'll let her know." I hung up the phone and took out a cigarette from my jacket pocket, normally I don't smoke since Ga Eul said she doesn't like the smell of it. But I think this time there is a legit reason to do so. I fumbled around for a lighter I usually kept in my pants pocket to offer to fashion editors who loved to smoke as much as they breathe. The hit of nicotine seemed to unwind the knots in my body and I breathed it all out, the feeling of relaxation was slowly sinking in. I took a few more drags before snuffing it out and went back inside. They had just finished the photo shoot and there was my star, casually checking her phone while everyone around her was busy cleaning up the set. She had changed back to her normal clothes and when she saw me, she broke into a smile.

That pretty little thing began to frown when she sniffed the nicotine that was lingering on me. "Ew, I told you not to smoke, oppa!" Ga Eul reprimanded me.

"Ga Eul, you haven't eaten yet right?"

"Yeah, I'm starving!"

We went to her favorite little café which not many people went to since from the outside it looked kind of shady. We had grown chummy with the workers there and they were very kind contrary to their appearances of dyed hair, piercings, and tattoos. I took a sip of my coffee and she wanted for the strawberry mango smoothie she had ordered. It arrived and she played with the straw with her fingers.

"Oppa, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing."

"Are you sure?" She asked as she took a sip.

"Actually, I have good news." I smiled at her.

"Oh, you're finally dating?" Ga Eul teased.

"Even better, Next had just contacted me and they told me that they want to recruit you!"

Ga Eul's eyes radiated happiness as she screamed and told the workers the exciting news. They cheered for her and even gave her a small mango mousse cake as a gift.

"Oppa, let's go celebrate by drinking!"

"You really like to drink don't you? "I flicked her forehead. "Since today is a special day, I'll permit it."

"Oppa, saranghae!" She gave me a heart.

"First, let's call back the agency."

We called them and they confirmed that she should take a flight out to meet with the agency tomorrow.

We went to a karaoke room where they provided alcoholic drinks. She didn't like being in places where it was super noisy. She hated it when guys went up to her and flirted with her, she love attention but more marveling attention rather than flirting attention. We picked a few songs and just let the music play as we drank and laughed.

"Oppa, can't you just come with me to New York?" Ga Eul asked. I knew she was drunk already; she was always a lightweight which is no surprise considering how she only weighed ninety five pounds.

"I'm sorry Ga Eul, I wish I could, but you know I have to stay in Korea." I said sadly. I wished I didn't have to but I knew that I couldn't abandon my job here. My job was to cultivate talent in young girls and guys.

"Oppa, do you remember the first time we met?"

"I remember, you were in the subway just standing there and suddenly the train jolted and you landed on my lap." I chuckled as I remembered how flustered that young girl was. Now she didn't really get embarrassed when she had to sit on someone for a photo shoot.

"Did you know oppa? I thought you were cute then." Ga Eul giggled.

"You drank too much, haven't you?" I played it off.

She walked over and kissed me, I could feel her lips and her tongue. I knew I couldn't take advantage of her though my body wished it could. I pushed her aside softly.

"Ga Eul, you've drank too much. Let's go home and get you sober." I could still taste her in my mouth thought it was waning, much to my disappointment.

"Don't you understand my heart?" Ga Eul began to tear up. "If you told me not to go to Next then I won't! I'll stay by your side!"

I felt my heartstrings being tugged by her words but I knew that I couldn't do that to her. She loved modeling too much and it would be a waste for only Korea to see her, she needed to be an international model and become as popular as Du Juan or Gemma Wards. I can't let me be the reason for her to stay behind.

"You have to go and shine." I said as I picked her up bridal style. By this time she was already asleep in my arms. "The world deserves to see your shining beauty too..."

"Oppa, I'll call you when I get there?" Ga Eul smiled at me as I said goodbye to her at the airport.

"I'll be waiting for your call." I smiled. I was glad she seemed to have forgotten her drunken confession. She would have been mortified to the point that she didn't want to leave her room and go to New York.

She gave me a kiss on both my cheeks and smiled. I smiled back and waved at her until she disappeared from my sight. Even the way she left had an elegance to it.

"Oppa, that girl's so pretty!" A slim new model who was under my care said when she pointed at the television screen. It was a Valentino fashion show and the girl who was walking was none other than the one I love. "I think I saw her in Elle magazine too, she was posing for Hugo Boss, Chanel, and Vera Wang."

"Yes, you have to be as amazing as her one day, Jae Kyung." I smiled and looked around my room. Aside from a few pictures of Jae Kyung which were now put up, it was still filled with that elegant girl, Chu Ga Eul.

"I don't know if I'll be as amazing as her." Jae Kyung said.

"You said the exact same thing she said a year ago." I smiled as I reminisced on the day she was admiring all the photos in a album of a model that I had assisted before her. I continued watching her on television. Even though she was miles away, I could still feel her presence emit from the television screen, the grace and elegance that never seem to disappear. She would always my star, my model, my love.


	5. Edelweiss

Edelweiss

Edelweiss – daring

-Day One-

"Can you believe I'm getting married to the richest man in Korean in a week?!" A woman exclaimed to her Bluetooth that was hooked into her phone.

"I know! It's crazy isn't it? You're not going to be just Chu Ga Eul anymore, but Chu Ga Eul, wife of Song Woo Bin, the successor to Shin Il Corp!"

"Yah, Jan Di."

"Hmm?"

"To celebrate, I think I should do one crazy thing before I become married. Woo Bin is having a bachelor's party, I should do something too."

"Yeah! You're in Jeju right now, maybe you should go scuba diving!"

"Hmm...I want to do something I wouldn't normally do." Ga Eul slowed down when she saw a hitchhiker on the road with his thumb out. "Oh I know, I'll pick up a hitchhiker!"

"What?! Ga Eul, that's too dang-" Ga Eul hung up before her best friend could protest and dissuade her from doing so. She pulled over and unlocked the car door. She was a bit nervous and scared, what if it was some freak with a chainsaw?! She slightly calmed down when the guy turned out to look almost the same age as her.

"So where are you headed?" Ga Eul asked the man, it looked like he hadn't showered in days. He was wearing many layers and had earmuffs on.

"Anywhere."

"Don't you have a destination?" Ga Eul asked. "I thought hitchhikers generally do."

"You can consider me a special case, I'm just a man with too much time on his hands." The hitchhiker flashed a smile. She was slightly dazzled by it.

"Oh I see, sounds like fun." She said politely.

"It is, you should try it sometime."

"No, it doesn't suit me."

The hitchhiker smiled. "You haven't even tried it and yet you already assume that it doesn't fit you."

"Because I know it doesn't. I don't like not taking showers for a long period of time and I like the feeling of security."

"But you would miss out on the freedom of doing whatever you want." He pointed out.

"I'm willing to sacrifice that." She smiled at him.

"Hm...interesting."

"What is?"

"How people would choose security over freedom."

"Well, everyone has their own choices."

"True."

Silence.

"I'm sorry for asking, but how come you're hitchhiking? You seem to be a good looking guy, you could probably get a decent job somewhere." Ga Eul stated.

"I know, I'm just tired of being part of a system."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow."

"Have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if you never had to worry about money?

"Yeah, that's called being rich because in this world, you need money to live."

"I disagree. It's more like we need money in order to expand. Any human could live by just eating off of plants and what not, we've been doing it since the beginning of time. It's just in order to up the living, one has to get more things."

"That's true, but we can't help it, it's part of human nature to want more and more things. Call it greed."

"I feel sorry for every single person who thinks money gains happiness."

"Well it does, you must understand how hard it is to think about not having enough money all the time."

"Nope. You don't either huh? I mean look at the size of that rock on your hand." He commented.

"Oh this? I'm getting married in a week." Ga Eul smiled.

"Congratulations, are you happy?"

"Well yeah."

He leaned back on his seat. "Are you in love with him?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, are you in love with him?"

"Well yeah, shouldn't I be?"

"What's with the question at the end? You sound doubtful."

"No, of course I love him!" Ga Eul shouted. "Sorry." She realized how loud she had been.

"I'm sorry too." He dropped the conversation and the ride got very silent.

After a few minutes, Ga Eul couldn't handle the silent ride anymore. It was creepy, especially with a hitchhiker.  
"Hey, why-"

"Where are-"

"Sorry, you got first." They both said at the same time.

"Go." The hitchhiker said.

"I was just going to ask where are you headed?"

"Anywhere."

"Seriously? You don't have a destination; how sad." Ga Eul commented.

"Why is it sad?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, going through life aimlessly sounds boring. Don't you have any goals?"

"Goals? Not really. I'm tired of doing things for a reason. Can't I do something without one?"

"I guess, but eventually I'd find it boring."

"You've never tried, have you?"

"Tried what?"

"Going through life just relaxing."

"Who has time to relax?"

"You could if you just stopped worrying about money."

"I wouldn't know how to do that. I've always been money conscious."

"Why? Are you a rich heiress or something?" He asked amusingly.

"No. It's just my family has been poor and we barely had enough to survive on after my father lost his job at Sarang Corporation last year. You've heard about it right? How the CEO lost millions of dollars after his secretary embezzled the money? Well, the company wasn't doing so well so people got laid off and unfortunately, my father was one of those people."

"I see. Do you guys live alright now?"

"It's just me now. My father passed away just recently and my mother died after I was born. But yes, my husband to be provides me with some finances so I am able to get by though I don't want him to do so." Ga Eul smiled.

"I'm sorry for your loss. So he's a chaebol?"

"It's alright and yeah he is." She said quietly.

"So, have you ever blamed the CEO for losing all that money?" The hitchhiker asked curiously.

"No, I'm sure there were things going on with him so I can't blame him. Besides, how was he to know that his own secretary would take all the money away?"

"Hmm weird, if it was me, I would curse him to the ends of the earth, I mean, he deserves it after doing such a terrible thing."

"That would be too terrible. I wouldn't have the heart to blame him." She heard the hitchhiker's stomach growl. "Are you hungry? Let's stop by someplace to eat."

"Weird, you're treating me to something? Don't drivers just drop off hitchhikers?" He asked.

"Well I can't let you starve. It would be cruel of me."

"Thank you then." He smiled.

"Yeah, no problem." Ga Eul looked around and found a restaurant to eat at. She looked at his attire and tried not to sound rude. "Maybe we should get you some change of clothes first."

"Why? Are you embarrassed to be eating with me? If you are, I'm fine with just being dropped off."

"No it's not that!" Ga Eul said, a slightly more loudly than she wanted. "It's just, I don't know if they will serve us with you looking like this."

"If they don't, we could always go to some place less grand."

"Are you alright with that? I mean, you might be giving up on a chance to eat some pretty luxurious food."

"Food is food. What's the difference between a steak and a burger? They both use cow anyways." The hitchhiker smiled. Ga Eul smiled back.

"You're pretty laidback."

"That's how you get when you just spend your time relaxing in the sun and just looking at clouds."

"Don't you ever worry about where your next meal will come from?"

He shook his head. "When you're relaxing and not worry about money, food just comes to you. Of course, there are times when I go hungry but I don't mind because I like the way my life is right now."

"How was your life before?" They had sat in a little restaurant and were eating spicy rice cakes with soju.

"Uneventful. I was always stuck in an office. Always worrying about finances, what would happen if the company was to go bankrupt, what would happen if the company didn't get good responses from the public. You know, those general worries of every salaryman."

"I see, I understand what you mean. My dad was working in a company too afterall."

"So have you ever tried to sue the company to get some money? I'm sure you wanted to hurt the CEO despite what you told me earlier."

"I admit, I was furious." Ga Eul conceded. "My family depended on my father's salary and I worked also but my salary alone couldn't support my family. I was mad at the CEO for being so stupid as to trust his secretary so much. I was mad at him for not trying to save the company and just running away. But after I told all this to my father, his response really made me think."

"What did he say?"

"How do you think the CEO feels? That was what he said." Ga Eul drank her glass of soju.

"I'm sure he didn't care, I mean he ran away."

"Yeah, but I think he was just scared. I don't blame him, I might have done the same thing if I was in his position. He trusted his secretary and he got betrayed. I may be mad about the layoff and the money lost but I'm sure he had to worry about that plus deal with the pain of betrayal."

"You're a very kind woman. I'm sure your fiancé is lucky to be marrying such a sweet woman like you." He smiled.

"I guess though I can't help but think whether this is really the choice for me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been struggling with my feelings lately. I'm not sure whether I really love him."

"But you said earlier that you did."

"That was a kneejerk reaction. After you asked that question, I've been thinking about it."

"Hey, don't let me ruin your happy wedding."

"No, you're not ruining it. It's not your fault. You just asked me straightforwardly the question I didn't dare to ask myself all this time." Ga Eul took a deep breath. "And you're right, I might not really love him for him. Maybe, I really am looking for financial security." Ga Eul took sighed.

The hitchhiker gave her a pat on the back and she gave him a weak smile. She was at a lost. "Maybe you should try to use this time to clear it all out."

"Yeah. Maybe I should. So what are your plans?"

"I don't know. Maybe just wander around like usual." He grinned.

"Well, if you don't have any plans, do you want to hang out with me?"

"You want to hang out with a hitchhiker?" He asked astonished. "Aren't you afraid I might rape you or attack you?"  
"Call me crazy but you don't seem like that type of guy."

"Well, how would you know?" He challenged.

"If you were, you would have raped me a long time ago." Ga Eul smiled. "Besides, not all rapists actually talk to their victim first and discuss things like life and love."

"You got a point there." The male smiled.

"Let's eat." Ga Eul smiled and they ordered some food.

"This looks good." He stared at the kim-bap. He ate some and gestured to Ga Eul to eat too.

"When was the last time you had food?" Ga Eul asked the man who seemed to be shoving the food down his throat quickly.

"Maybe two days ago?" He guesstimated.

"Wow, here eat some more." Ga Eul placed some more food on his plate.

"Relax, eat some yourself, I'm not going to starve or anything." Yi Jung laughed at how overly concerned she was. "I'm surprised your husband hadn't called you though."

"Oh shoot, I turned off my phone." Ga Eul reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She turned it on to see dozen missed called from Jan Di and none from Woo Bin. "He must be having fun at his bachelor's party."

"You seem a bit down that he's not calling." Yi Jung noted.

"I think I'm more disappointed than sad."

"Why the disappointment?"

"I'm not sure."

"Are you finished? If you are, let's go." Yi Jung said. She nodded and they decided to take a walk until Ga Eul sobered up. She didn't want to drive after having a few cups of soju.

"It seems your fiancé trusts you enough to let you go to Jeju Island by yourself."

"Not sure if it's trust or just the perfect reason to escape from me for a while."

"If I was your husband, I wouldn't leave such a pretty girl by herself." Ga Eul scoffed at his compliments.

"Your flirting won't win you a ticket to a motel room."

"Oh darn, and here I was trying so hard to score a place to sleep." Yi Jung smiled and walked ahead a few steps.

Ga Eul admired how the hitchhiker can be so free and felt a tinge of jealousy. All her life she had been plagued by financial burdens and knew not the feeling of relaxation. Maybe her marriage to Woo Bin was the ticket that she had been waiting for all her life.

"By the way, I haven't heard your name yet?" Yi Jung said.

"Just call me Autumn." Ga Eul smiled. "Just for a while, I don't want to be myself."

"Then call me Bum." Yi Jung smiled. "I want to be someone different too."

-Day Two-

"Hey Bum, wake up." Ga Eul had nudged the sleeping guy awake who was sleeping on the passenger seat with it reclined all the way down.

"Oh morning." He said groggily and woke up. "Thanks for letting me sleep in your car, it was the best sleep I've had in ages."

"You're welcome, let's go to a motel though."

"Wow miss, you're actually letting me get a motel room."

Ga Eul laughed. "It's not like I'm going to let you stink up my car. You need a shower and possibly a shave."

"Thank you." Yi Jung smiled.

"There are towels in the restroom already right?" Ga Eul asked the man who was already hopping into the shower.

"Yeah."

They had checked into a tiny bed and breakfast. Though the room was small, it was still cozy and she was thankful the owners were kind enough to allow a hobo-like person to live there. Ga Eul assured them that he posed no harm and was pretty clean. It helped that the bum really did know how to charm women despite the shabby clothes he was adorned in. She had requested for two beds and laid down on it. She glanced up at the ceiling and counted the little dots that were on the tiles.

"I'm done." Yi Jung said and he came out. Ga Eul was amazed at how one shower could change his looks. He actually looked very handsome even though his clothes were dirty.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you any clothes."

"No, doing this is already more than enough. I can't thank you enough actually."

"You're actually pretty good looking." Ga Eul said bluntly.

"Are you intrigued by me, Autumn?" Yi Jung grinned.

"Please, I'm just saying you could get a job."

He sighed. "That conversation again."

"I'm just insinuating that you don't have to lead this kind of life."

"Maybe I want to."

"What?" Ga Eul was surprised.

"I'm sick of dealing with the stress. I told you before right? I used to work in an office and everyday there was constant pressure. I even wanted to kill myself at one point, but I decided to lead this life instead. You aren't the only one who was affected by the Sarang Corp."

"You mean, you worked there too?"

"Yeah, I'm glad though, I can lead a new life."

"But wouldn't you be running away from your old life?"

"It's not running away if you're not caught."

"I'm going to shower." Ga Eul said. "You can go ahead and order room service for the both of us."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

She got out of the shower and saw him waiting for her before eating.

"No one had waited for me in such a long time."

"No one has eaten with me in such a long time."

They ate in silence and Ga Eul checked her phone to see if there were any new messages, but there were none.

"Waiting for your fiancé?"

"No." Ga Eul lied.

"I've been curious, why did you decide to pick up a person like me?"

"I just wanted to."

"No one does anything without a reason."

"I wanted to try and see if I can do new things. I'm going to be married soon and I wanted to be daring before I become a boring housewife."

"You don't have to lead the life of a housewife, you can always work."

Ga Eul laughed. "It's pretty much implied by his parents that I will be a housewife."

"How can you put up with such standards?"

"It's easy if you just close your eyes and do it. I'm thinking about the benefits that are being reaped."

"Sometimes, the benefits aren't worth it."

"I think in this case, it is."

"You don't seem like the type to just settle, I mean you did pick up a hitchhiker."

Ga Eul gulped down her orange juice. "Once you've been used to being submissive, you can do it over and over again. It doesn't matter if you're treated like a dog as long as you got fed right?"

Yi Jung stopped eating and looked down. "I don't know if I can do that, bow down my head."

"Really, I would have expected you to understand, seeing as how you live as a person with such a low status."

Yi Jung thought about it. "Maybe you're right...maybe I am running away."

"From what?"

"Reality."

Ga Eul nodded. "I've been there before."

"I think you're there now. I've only known you for a day but I can tell you have so much more ambition than to just be a housewife."

"That ambition you're talking about is being used to climb the social ladder right now." Ga Eul replied.

"I'll just give you a warning, the higher you go, the harder you fall."

"Isn't that cliché?"

"It's also true."

"What do you know about me? You're only some coward who's running away from something." Ga Eul shot back.

"You're right, I don't know much. Thank you for the breakfast." Yi Jung said and walked out the door.

Ga Eul didn't feel like going out after what she had said to Bum. How could she have been so mean to bring his status into the argument, she knew better than that. That had always been a factor for ridicule in her life. The poor girl who couldn't afford tuition and had to drop out of school; the pitiful maid who slaved hours for minimum wage and to be looked down upon by guests that checked into Shin Il Hotel. The lucky commoner who was able to meet Song Woo Bin, a chaebol, and somehow able to snag him from all the other rich heiresses. She had endured being called trash and whore by his parents and finally unwillingly accepted when her fiancé had threatened to elope. She somehow got that ring on her finger. It shimmered and she wanted nothing more than to hock it. She tried to pry it off her finger but she failed. She plopped down on the bed, hoping that the man would come back.

She opened her eyes to find the sun was slowly setting and the floor had a beautiful orange glow that seemed eerie. The door opened and she found Bum there, holding a bag full of beer.

"I took the liberty of taking some cash and buying some beer. I'll pay you back."

"No that's okay, I wanted to drink anyways." Ga Eul said.

"Oh okay."

"Hey Bum."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for coming back."

"Cheers!" Yi Jung and Ga Eul tapped beer cans and drank it all in a few gulps.

"Hey Bum, I'm sorry for what I said about you. You're not a runaway bum, I was way out of line."  
"No you're right, I was running away. I was scared of the truth. I think it's almost time for me to stop running away and face myself."

"Same, I know I can do better than be a housewife. I'll talk to my in-laws and try to get them to see eye to eye with me."

"Good for you Autumn!"

They drank another can and threw the empty can on the floor. They leaned their heads on the mattress and stared at each other. Yi Jung scooted closer and kissed her.

Ga Eul blinked and stared back at the person who was unsure of what to do next. They stared at each other before Ga Eul scooted and kissed him. He put his hand on her face and kissed her deeply. Ga Eul pushed it further by kissing more passionately. They landed on the bed where Ga Eul and Yi Jung kissed and when Yi Jung began kissing her neck, she felt the coolness of her tongue which made her feel hot but also brought her back to the icy reality.

"Stop, Bum. We can't do this."

Yi Jung stopped and he looked down at Ga Eul. Her eyes were staring back at him and her hair was spread all across the pillows. He fought the urge to kiss her again and got up. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"No, it was my fault too." He walked over to the other bed and slept there. Ga Eul laid awake, with her back to him. He had her back to her as well and was engrossed in his thoughts. Perhaps it was really time for him to stop running away. Ga Eul felt guilty, she had never kissed another guy other than Woo Bin before, but what made it even worse was the chemistry she felt. She never felt her heart pound this much when she was with Woo Bin. She touched her lips and shut her eyes, hoping the sleepiness will take over.

-Day Three-

Ga Eul woke up and found the bed next to her empty.

"Bum?" Ga Eul called out and no one answered. She got up and brushed her teeth, there was a post-it on the mirror.

_Autumn,_

_It was nice to have met you in such a short time. It's good to know that there are people out there who are as kind as you. I realize I should pay back all your kindness by listening to your advice and not running away. I hope I see you in the near future._

_ Bum_

She smiled and stuck the note in her agenda book. She looked at the time, she could still make it to the airport. It was time for her to also stop running away. She said goodbye to the motel owners and got in her car. She quickly drove to the airport and got on a flight. During the flight, she felt her heartbeat rise and she chanted a mantra of _It's going to be okay over and over to herself._

Ga Eul sat on the plane and looked at the engagement ring.

"It's beautiful." A woman complimented on the plane. "You're one lucky girl."

She said nothing and just looked out the window. She was going to be in Seoul soon.

"Hello, doryeonim?" A frantic voice said with concern and anxiety.

"Hello, Assistant Kim."

"Doryeonim! Where have you been all this time?"

"I'm in Jeju Island, could you please pick me up?"

"Are you coming home sir?"

"Yes, I'm coming back."

"Welcome back!" Jan Di screamed and hugged her best friend. They smiled to each other and hugged again. "I was so scared you were mugged and raped by that hitchhiker!"

"He was actually a very nice guy, I spent my whole trip with him."

Jan Di gaped. "But he was a hitchhiker."

"Jan Di, I learned an important lesson from him and he opened up my eyes to something."

"What is it?"

"I can't get married to Woo Bin."

"What? Ga Eul..." Jan Di's voice showed a hint of disappointment and shock. "Why did you suddenly say that? Are you really going to just listen to some poor homeless guy you met for only two days?"

"It's not him that persuaded me to cancel the wedding. To be honest, I've thought about this for a long time already. I don't love Woo Bin, he's a great guy, he really is but he doesn't make me feel that spark. Like the one you and Jun Pyo have."

"Who cares about the spark Ga Eul, what about your financial security? Your future?"

"I'll figure that out later, I can take care of myself. Wish me luck on telling Mr. and Mrs. Song."

"Ga Eul, I don't understand..." Woo Bin said with a lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry Woo Bin, I'm so sorry, but I can't marry you."

"You ungrateful bitch." The old woman hissed. "How dare you reject our son."

"Mom." Woo Bin looked at her with tired eyes.

"To think we actually accepted a whore like you."

"Okay, that's it." Ga Eul snapped. "First of all, I don't whore myself, madam. Second of all, I'm not ungrateful and I am thankful for your help all these years, and third, you never wanted me as your daughter in law in the first place so you should be dancing on those frickin' Prada shoes right now." She looked at Woo Bin and gently slid the ring off her finger which now came off more easily. She gently placed it in his quivering palm. "You're a wonderful, charming guy, any girl would be lucky to have you as her husband. I hope you find a girl that realizes that and cherishes you. Thank you for all those times and I'll find a way to pay you back." Ga Eul kissed him on the cheek. He resigned and nodded, he was never one to get angry and desperate over a girl.

"I'm sorry Ga Eul, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave your apartment and give us back the credit card."

Ga Eul nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Song for being like a father to me."

He smiled politely and took the stuff from her. She drove home and her heart felt lighter than before. She smiled and even laughed as a few tears slid down her cheek. Even though she might be happy to be out of a loveless marriage, it didn't mean she didn't feel guilty for dumping the sweetest guy ever.

"Doryeonim!" An old man said and ran towards Yi Jung.

"Assistant Kim!" Yi Jung was about to give him a hug when the man tried to decline it but was pulled in anyways.

"What are you wearing?"

Yi Jung looked at his attire which consisted of a dirty jacket with a scarf. He smiled sheepishly.

"Should we go get you changed?"

"No." Yi Jung's happy tone changed to a serious one. "I need to take responsibility for what I did to the employees at Sarang Corp."

"The plane is waiting." The assistant ushered Yi Jung into a black car.

On a skyscraper with a television screen, a news reporter sporting a suit and perhaps a wig was talking about Sarang Corp and how they were rehiring old employees and even taking in the family of the deceased employees to jobs suited for them based on their resumes. A video of Yi Jung at a press conference and bowing in remorse was shown.

"I will work harder to guarantee the lives of our employees."

A girl who looked like a homeless hippie was shocked when she saw the face of a person she met a while ago. But that surprised expression was replaced by a happy one.

"I'm glad he's doing the right thing." Ga Eul smiled. She then happily skipped along and stretched out on a sidewalk curb. She was happy that she was trying to live life without caring about money. She was going to do this for a few months and then go back to the real world but until then she didn't care. She played a few songs on a guitar that she hadn't strummed since the death of her father. A few people tossed some coins or a dollar bill into her guitar case until the sky began to darken and Ga Eul packed up her things. She carried the guitar on her back and wondered if she had enough money for the bus. Sadly, she was a few coins short. She pouted and then stuck out her thumb.

To her surprise, a person drove up to her and she peered in.

"So where are you headed?" Yi Jung asked.

"Anywhere." Ga Eul got in and smiled at him.

"Really? I thought hitchhikers had destinations."

"I learned from a skilled one that there doesn't need to be a destination, sometimes it's better to just live life."

Yi Jung smiled. "I don't think I caught your name, what was it?"

"Chu Ga Eul."

"Nice to meet you, I'm So Yi Jung."

"Nice to meet you too."


End file.
